Selling Sunset's Emma Hernan says this wellness-focused quirk can improve our house value and transcend design trends

'It's never going to go out of style to be healthy': The real estate guru says this eternally on-trend feature will improve our home's chances on the market

emma hernan
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Can wellness features be an element of interior design? Emma Hernan says yes. In our exclusive interview with the real estate guru, the Selling Sunset star, we discussed the biggest interior design trends of 2024.

She told us that from her point of view, health-focused spaces are emerging as a timeless feature of the world's most beautiful homes.

'One of my favorite interior design trends, and it's going to be a little bit different of an answer, is wellness centers,' Emma says. 'Whether they're big or small, people optimizing their space inside homes and outside of homes for wellness is going to be huge in 2024. I think that it adds so much to a property.' 

Emma Hernan

(Image credit: Jason Kent)

'I'm seeing wellness centers pop up a lot in the new properties. That's something that I'm advising my clients to do. I feel like health is wealth. So anytime you can add that to a property, I do think it's such an added value.' According to the Oppenheim Group superstar, wellness in design is always a worthwhile investment.

Furthermore, we've also noticed these wellness features popping up across celebrity homes, including David Beckham's cold plunge, Brie Larson's sauna, and Jennifer Aniston's home gym, so it makes sense that they're increasing in popularity.

How does Emma propose people improve their wellness at home? She suggests installing 'infrared saunas, LED, cold plunge pools, and kind of doing like a wellness center.' She continues, 'You can put it on the inside and turn a whole basement floor into a wellness center. Or if you have a smaller home, you could do something outside.' A great example of using your space for health is turning your teen's former bedroom into the perfect home gym.

In addition to the wellness benefits, Emma asserts that these features should be design-led. She told H&G exclusively, 'I do think aesthetic-wise wellness spaces also add this cool little edge to the property. It's not just a random cold plunge on the side of a house. You're now doing a design based around a wellness center, and you can do it as big as you want. You know, people love health and wellness. I just feel like it's never going to go out of style to be healthy.' It's an investment in yourself, in your property, and in the design of your home.

Emma Hernan
Emma Hernan

Selling Sunset star Emma Hernan is the go-to agent for many luxury home buyers and sellers, both across the US and internationally. Alongside her place in the real estate industry, Emma has a rich background as an entrepreneur and angel investor – simultaneously serving as the CEO of her successful food company. 


Shop the Wellness Edit


No matter if you prefer a cold plunge, sauna, steam room, or spa bathroom, there is always room to incorporate a wellness feature into your home.

Sophie Edwards
News Editor

Sophie is a London-based News Editor at Homes & Gardens, where she works on the Celebrity Style team. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly excited when researching trends or interior history. Sophie is an avid pop culture fan. As an H&G editor, she has interviewed the likes of Martha Stewart, Hilary Duff, and the casts of Queer Eye and Selling Sunset. Before joining Future Publishing, Sophie worked as the Head of Content and Communications at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens and furniture brand. She has also written features on exciting developments in the design world for Westport Magazine. Sophie has an MSc from the Oxford University Department of Anthropology and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.